How to Change a Life
by blueaeryn1
Summary: A letter will change the course of Kate Beckett's life forever. It is something she has been working toward for a long time, but will she take it?
1. Chapter 1

_I had an idea for this story from a scene early on in season four. It was when Beckett was describing a piece of law to Captain Gates, and she explained her mother had been a lawyer. That comment spurred this story idea._

A plain white envelope with an official seal on the left corner was waiting for her in her mail slot when she came home from a very long day at the 12th precinct. The case had been particularly hard on her, especially when she had to tell a young man, with a three-year-old son, that his wife of five years was never coming home.

Thomas Jones' wife, Mary, had been the victim of a senseless crime. A co-worker believed she was going to tell on him, about embezzling from the company Mary worked at. In truth, Mary knew nothing and was killed for nothing.

The case itself was pretty easy, almost open and shut. The hard part was informing Mr. Jones, watch his crest-fallen, and heart-broken face, crumble at the news. See his mind work, as she could see him wondering how he was going to tell his son Mommy was never coming home.

It was days like this Kate Beckett questioned her choice of profession. It was also days like this that had made her want to have options. Those options finally came to fruition today when she received the very official piece of mail.

The timing could be labeled humorous, considering the other piece of news she received today. Halfway between a whim, and wanting to see if she could do it, Kate took the exam for lieutenant. Today, she was informed, by Captain Gates, that she has passed with flying colors. Another lucky piece of news was that there was an opening coming up for a new lieutenant in the homicide division, and if she wanted it, Kate could enjoy the rise in rank, and pay, in less than two months.

Gates' news has floored Kate. Not that she didn't believe she could do it, pass the exam, no it was the implications. She would be less in the field, taking on even more of supervisory role. What would that mean for her and her team of Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan, but more importantly what would that mean for her and Richard Castle.

Would he still come around if she was stuck in the precinct more? But more importantly what would this new piece of news mean for her unusual, and hard to explain, relationship between herself and Castle.

Kate picked up the pristine envelope and stroked the embossed lettering. She shrugged and sighed deeply. She didn't know why she was stressing so, she didn't even know what the letter said. It could be bad news, it could mean nothing changed.

Only one way to find out, as Kate picked up a silver letter opener, and slit open the envelope. She retrieved the tri-folded letter and unfolded it.

All she read was "Congratulations M. Katherine Beckett" and she knew. She knew what it meant, she just didn't know how it would change her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Richard Castle. It all started with Richard Castle. He challenged Kate Beckett, made her want more, made her see there was more to her life then solving her mother's murder. She would always pursue it, her mother's case. She just finally saw that there was more for her then carrying the badge of solving Johanna Beckett's murder.

So, a year after Richard Castle entered her life Kate Beckett took a day off from work and went to Columbia University. She wasn't sure when and how the idea worked its way into her head, but it did. Law School; a way to not only honor her mother, speak for the victims but also see a case through to the end, and have a hand in it.

Armed with all the information she would need, Kate weighed her options. Could she balance her very demanding job with first studying for the LSTAT, then applying to go to Columbia Law School? More importantly finding the time to take the required classes.

After a lengthy pros and cons session Kate Beckett made her decision. She would see it through, take the test apply and see what happened. She was shocked, thrilled and terrified when she passed the LSTAT exam with flying colors and equally shocked when she was accepted into Columbia Law.

For over three years, Kate Beckett lived in two worlds, that of a lead detective at the 12th precinct of the New York Police Department and as a law student at Columbia University. No one knew of her extra-curricular activities, she kept it to herself.

Kate Beckett had just finished her final year of law school a week before she was shot by the sniper at Captain Roy Montgomery's funeral. She found out she had graduated while she was recuperating at her father's cabin and spent the last two months of her leave studying for the bar exam.

A few weeks ago, Kate finally took the bar exam. Today, she found out she passed.

Kate was still reeling from the news of passing the bar exam she at first didn't hear the knock at the door. After the knock grew louder, Kate absently walked to the door and looked through the peep hole. She bit her lip and placed her hand on the door knob. It was Castle.

Swinging the door open, she merely stepped back as Castle had a habit of just walking in these days without being invited in. True to form after she opened the door he strolled in.

Throwing her one of his self-professed devilish smiles, Castle placed his hands in his blue pea-coat and twirled around to face her. "After the day we had, I just came by to check on you," Castle said.

He walked further into her apartment. Though his excuse was valid, Kate knew the real reason he was here. Richard Castle just wanted to see her. His visits had become more and more frequent the last few months. It was like they were standing on the precipice of a cliff, both waiting for the other to take a leap toward a relationship with the other; so far neither one had yelled chicken.

"I'm fine," Kate said as she shut the door. "Would you like some wine?" Kate turned toward the kitchen. Castle followed her.

She was going to the fridge to pull out a bottle of wine when she heard the rustle of paper. Kate whirled around to see Richard Castle holding the letter she had just read.

Castle held up the letter and waved it back and forth. "What's this, Kate?" He cocked his head and confusion crossed his face. "Does this mean what I think it means?"


End file.
